Spiced Apple Pie with Brandied Crème Anglaise

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup Granulated sugar (for custard)
• 3 pieces Egg yolks (large, room temperature)
• 1.5 cup Half & half (can substitute 3/4 cup cream + 3/4 cup milk)
• 0.75 cup Milk (if not using half & half)
• 0.5 pod Vanilla bean (split and scraped; or 2 tsp vanilla extract)
• 2 tablespoon Apple brandy (for custard)
• 3.25 cup All‑purpose flour (about 390 g, sifted)
• 2 tablespoon Granulated sugar (crust) (adds a tiny sweetness to the crust)
• 2 teaspoon Ground cinnamon (for crust)
• 0.5 teaspoon Kosher salt (for crust)
• 1 cup Unsalted butter, ice‑cold (cut into small cubes; 226 g)
• 0.25 cup Apple brandy (dough) (adds flakiness)
• 0.5 cup Ice water (very cold, 8 Tbsp)
• 3.5 pound Apples (mix of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp, peeled, cored, sliced 1/8" thick)
• 2 pieces Mandarin oranges (seedless, zest and juice)
• 1.5 teaspoon Ground cinnamon (filling)
• 1.5 teaspoon Ground ginger
• 0.5 teaspoon All‑spice
• 0.25 teaspoon Ground cardamom
• 0.25 teaspoon Ground nutmeg
• 0.5 teaspoon Freshly cracked black pepper
• 0.5 cup Light brown sugar, packed
• 0.5 cup Granulated sugar (filling)
• 0.3125 cup Tapioca flour (45 g; substitute corn starch)
• 1 piece Egg (for wash) (beaten)

Instructions

1. Whisk yolks and sugar

   Place 1/3 cup granulated sugar and 3 egg yolks in a bowl and whisk until just combined; do not over‑beat.

   Time: PT2M

2. Heat dairy with vanilla

   In a medium saucepan combine 1½ cup half‑and‑half, ½ vanilla bean (split and scraped) and heat over medium until steam‑rich and just before boiling.

   Time: PT5M

3. Temper the egg mixture

   Slowly ladle a couple of spoonfuls of the hot dairy into the yolk‑sugar mixture while whisking constantly, then pour the warmed yolk mixture back into the saucepan.

   Time: PT2M

4. Cook custard to thicken

   Return the saucepan to medium heat and stir continuously for 3–5 minutes until the custard coats the back of a wooden spoon; do not let it boil.

   Time: PT5M

5. Finish custard and chill

   Whisk in 2 Tbsp apple brandy, strain through a fine sieve to remove vanilla pod bits, then transfer to a container and chill in the refrigerator.

   Time: PT5M

6. Combine dry crust ingredients

   In a large bowl whisk together 3 ¼ cup flour, 2 Tbsp sugar, 2 tsp cinnamon and ½ tsp kosher salt.

   Time: PT2M

7. Cut in butter

   Add 1 cup cold butter cubes to the dry mix and use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until pieces range from almond‑size to fine sand.

   Time: PT5M

8. Mix in liquid

   Combine ¼ cup apple brandy with ½ cup ice‑cold water, drizzle over the flour‑butter mixture, and gently fold until a shaggy dough forms.

   Time: PT3M

9. Form, divide and chill dough

   Gather the dough, split into two equal disks, wrap each in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (up to 3 days).

   Time: PT2H

10. Prepare apples

    Peel, core and slice 3½ lb apples into 1/8‑inch rounds; place in a large bowl.

    Time: PT10M

11. Add mandarin zest & juice

    Zest and juice two seedless mandarins, then add both zest and juice to the apple bowl.

    Time: PT2M

12. Season apples

    Sprinkle 1½ tsp cinnamon, 1½ tsp ground ginger, ½ tsp all‑spice, ¼ tsp cardamom, ¼ tsp nutmeg, ½ tsp cracked black pepper, ½ cup light brown sugar and ½ cup granulated sugar over the apples; toss gently to coat.

    Time: PT5M

13. Rest apples to draw out moisture

    Cover the bowl and let the apples sit at room temperature for 2 hours, allowing juices to be released.

    Time: PT2H

14. Reduce apple juice to caramel

    Transfer the released juice to a medium saucepan and simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until reduced to a thick, syrupy caramel (about 15 minutes).

    Time: PT15M

15. Thicken with tapioca flour

    Sprinkle ¼ cup + 2 Tbsp (45 g) tapioca flour over the apples, toss to coat, and cook another 5 minutes until the mixture thickens and the apples are glossy.

    Time: PT5M

16. Roll out dough and cut leaves

    On a lightly floured pastry mat roll one disk to ¼‑inch thickness. Use a leaf cutter (or knife) to cut decorative leaf shapes; place leaves on parchment and chill for 15 minutes.

    Time: PT15M

17. Prepare bottom crust

    Roll the second dough disk to a 14‑inch circle, transfer to a 9‑inch pie dish, trim excess, and fold edges; crimp as desired.

    Time: PT5M

18. Assemble filling

    Arrange the apple slices in the crust, pressing gently to eliminate gaps; drizzle the reduced apple caramel over the top.

    Time: PT5M

19. Add leaf topping and egg wash

    Place the chilled leaf pieces on top of the pie, brush the entire surface with beaten egg.

    Time: PT5M

20. Bake the pie

    Preheat oven to 425°F. Bake the pie for 15 minutes, then reduce temperature to 375°F and continue baking for 55 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling. Tent with foil if over‑browning.

    Time: PT1H10M

    Temperature: 425°F then 375°F

21. Cool and serve

    Allow the pie to cool on a rack for at least 2 hours before slicing. Serve each slice with a drizzle of chilled brandied crème anglaise.

    Time: PT2H

Nutrition Facts

Calories

700

Protein

6 g

Carbohydrates

95 g

Fat

35 g

Fiber

4 g